Voltaic shoe



(No Model.)

O. H. AYER. VOLTAIG SHOE.

No. 422,107. Patented Feb. 25, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

CLARK H. AYER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

VOLTAIC SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 422,107, dated February25, 1890.

Application filed December 2,1889. Serial No. 332,258. (No modelJ To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARK H. AYER, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk,State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Voltaic Shoes, of which the following; is a descriptionsufficiently full, clear, and exact to en able any person skilled in theart or science to which said invention appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to thev accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shoeprovided with my improved battery, a portion of the upper being brokenaway to show the interior; Fig. 2, a vertical transverse section of theshank, and Fig. 3 a plan view of the inside face of the shank.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the differentfigures of the drawings.

My invention relates especially to means for providing a shoe with avoltaic battery; and it consists in certain novel features, hereinafterfully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce asimpler,cheaper, and more effective device of this character than is now inordinary use. v

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understoodby all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the shoe, considered as a whole, which isof the ordinary form and construction. A steel shank b is secured overthe shank portion d of the shoesole B in the usual'manner. A layer offelt f is disposed above the steel shank. Voltaic battery C, consistingof a chain comprising a series of links composed of alternate copper orbrass and zinc plates g h, connected by copper loops or links t, isdisposed 9n the felt layer f, and a similar layer of felt It covers saidbattery. The upper felt layer is covered by the inner sole m, which isprovided with openings 13 to admit the moisture of the foot to saidfelt. The battery may be secured by its ends between the soles in anysuitable manner. I

In use the felt is slightly moistened with a very weak acid solution orother excitant sufficient to affect the battery and produce a slightcontinuous electrical current therefrom. Said battery being disposed inthe shoeshank, with which the hollow of the foot comes into contact, aconstant electric current is delivered to the person of the wearer.After once being moistened, as described, the

moisture of the body absorbed by the felt through the openings 13 issufficient to keep the battery in action.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is 1. A shoe providedwith a layer of felt dis posed above the steel shank thereof, a voltaicbattery disposed on said layer of felt over said shank, and a layer offelt disposed over said battery, said upper layer of felt being covered

